Disclaimer: Darkstalkers is a trademark of Capcom.
Vampire Hunt
By
Dr Facer
-3-
The Epilogue.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The mayor was surprised when I visited him to ask how Amanda was doing. It's been five days now since I killed Joseph and got my money, and I bet he was expecting me to be miles away. I can't blame him. I expected that too. But every time I'm ready to leave this city, I end up deciding to stay a little bit longer. I realized why last night. I wanted to see the girl and, as odd as it sounds, say goodbye to her.
The mayor's wife was happy to see me. She assured me that her daughter was now as healthy as ever, eating and playing on the sun as she always did before the incident. But I noticed that she was not telling me something. I asked, and she finally admitted that even when Amanda was seemingly fine, something strange was happening to her.
The woman asked me to look at her daughter. I agreed. I was planning to do it anyway. The girl was playing on the garden when I found her. She didn't seem strange to me at first sight, so I convinced her to sit by my side and talk. Well, after looking at her silently for a few minutes, I'm convinced that she doesn't have any vampire traits in her. There's nothing strange with her body, it seems. Right now, I really wish I could read souls like Hsien Ko and Donovan do. I'll have to ask them how they do it later.
"So, how are you?" I ask, "Your mother says you're different."
"I'm fine!" She replies cheerfully, "My dad says you killed the monster who bit me, is that true?"
"Yes, it's true." I said. I'm not here to chitchat, and since she seems fine, I think I should leave soon.
"You must be very strong!" She almost yelled that. In my ear. "I want to be strong like you!"
I don't answer. This girl couldn't be a Dark Hunter, not ever. Then, she gasps. I follow her gaze and I see why, she's staring at my shadow. It's grinning mischievously now.
"Why's your shadow like that?" The girl is not afraid by it, that is really strange.
"I don't know. Some people say it's because I'm a human with a Darkstalker's soul." I tell her the truth. I have no idea why my shadow is like that, and I don't care.
"You know…" Amanda stares at me with a very strange expression, "I think I'm like you now. I'm not like I was before."
This is different. As I stare at the girl, she fidgets. She seems to be looking for a way to tell me something's strange with her. I can't see anything different on her; I wonder what it is she feels.
"I can do things better now." She finally says, "I can run faster and I'm stronger too, and I can see very well at nights. I don't want to bite my parents anymore but… now I want to…"
This is interesting. The girl is no longer in danger of going vampire, but it seems the serum, plus the vampiric infection did something to her metabolism. I wonder what it was.
"Well, if you're faster and stronger, what's the problem? You'll do better at school." I say, "Anyway, what is it that you want? You can tell me. I promise to keep the secret."
She doubts for a few minutes, but she finally tells me.
"There's this thing at school… a thing that hides in the gym's store room. I saw it."
A ghost probably, or a ghoul, maybe a gremlin. As long as the school doesn't hire me to kill it, I don't care what it is.
"So what?" I ask her, "It's not your problem."
"I know." She says and shakes a little.
There it is. Her aura just flared black right now. Yes, her mother was right, this girl changed. She's not human anymore. At least not a normal one. I think some of the power of the vampires remained in her, and it seems she will grow stronger as she gets older. Well, I take it back. Whatever happened to this girl, she is Dark Hunter material now. And she could be very good… if she had a good teacher.
"But I want to kill it! I know I can!"
That was a surprise. She seems to have a craving for fighting dark creatures now as well. But she's so young, she couldn't last a minute against a real monster if she has no training.
"Don't be an idiot." I tell her, "You can't do that. You're too weak!"
"Then make me strong!"
I stand up and start walking away from the girl. Yes, she's got the potential now, but I can't train her. It's not my job.
"Don't say stupid things like that." I scold as I rush away from her, "Stay with your parents and forget about what you told me."
I left the mayor's mansion without saying a word. I didn't regret not talking with Amanda's mother. Not one bit. She will have to deal with her daughter alone. I won't offer her any help. Getting involved will only get me trouble! If I stay, that brat will soon start following me around like goldfish poop! Just like Anita does with Donovan! I don't need that, my puppy and my butterflies are all I need.
It's been three days since I left Amanda. I'm in the forest now. Trailing a werewolf pack that's been attacking a small town. There're five of them to be precise. It will be fun to kill the bastards! I haven't killed one of those fuckers in almost a year and I can't wait to load their bodies with silver!
I suddenly feel pain as I bounce several feet. I soon realize why. One of the werewolves attacked me from behind. I was so focused on catching up to them, that I forgot to watch my back. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Hey, this werewolf seems strong. Good, I'm going to enjoy killing him so much. A one on one fight. I really needed it; it's going to be really fun.
Or so I thought. Just as I jumped back to my feet, my machine gun at the ready, something hit the werewolf from behind. It was a decent hit, the werewolf actually stumbled a few steps. I don't know what hit the beast, but it doesn't matter. I unload a clip of silver bullets on the monster. I watch with a smile as it falls convulsing to the ground and dies in a pool of its own blood. Pity. I wanted to have fun with it first, but there's still four more ahead. My fun is not wasted yet.
"Wow! That was sooo cool!" That voice. It can't be her, can it?
She leaps from behind a bush. Amanda. What the hell is she doing here? And how did she find me?
"Why are you here?" I shout at her. I'm surprised that I'm not actually angry.
"I told you that I wanted you to make me strong!" She replies, "I left my house and followed you. It wasn't easy, you're very fast!"
"Yeah, well." This girl is insane. "Go back home."
"With my stupid parents? I rather stay with you!" She seems very determined. "I'm stronger now! I even hurt that wolf thing!"
She does have a point: Her parents are stupid.
"No, you didn't. You only distracted it." I can't let her follow me around, but I can't let her here alone. The forest is dangerous until I kill all the wolf-bastards. "look, just stay here, I'll come back soon."
"I told you I want to stay with you. We can be sisters! We both have blond hair! If you teach me, I can kill these things too! C'mon sis, please?"
"I don't have time to stand around arguing!" The werewolves will escape if I do. Damn Amanda. "Alright. Follow me. Just don't do nothing and stay in the shadows until I'm done." I'll let her tag along; it will be for only a little while, "And don't call me sis!"
Six years later…
"Sis, are we going to take this contract?" Amanda, now thirteen, asks as she looks at me doubtfully, "It's only worth three millions!"
"Yes, but it's a vampire hunt." I reply.
"Really? Cool! What are we waiting for, then?" She is happy. As usual as anytime we have to kill a vampire.
Yes, I kept the little brat. You can't blame me. She never missed her parents and she hates the Darkstalkers almost as much as I do. She has specialized on vampires and she's gotten good. Nearly as good as I was at her age. We actually make a very good team now.
And in the end, I even got used to her calling me 'sis'.
The End.
Notes:
Some people say stories never die. And I guess they're right. Years after I finished it, I felt I needed to revisit it and fix some things that I didn't like. After doing that, I decided that I wanted to add to the ending. And so, I wrote this epilogue (even if it's a little long to be one). I'm happier with the story now, I think it's finally finished as it should.